


Dig Up Her Bones

by orphan_account



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Domestic Fluff, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, blackhill - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-15
Updated: 2014-08-15
Packaged: 2018-02-13 08:02:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2143281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A visit from an attorney sets Maria on a path that she's not sure she can walk alone. Fortunately her wife is not going to let that happen. * Set post Cap Winter Soldier. Maria is married to Natasha and they are both working for Stark with Natasha working freelance *</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [f_romanoff_13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/f_romanoff_13/gifts).



> For my angst whore and fellow Blackhill shipper <3

“You must be Maria Hill,” spoke the attorney greeting Maria outside of her office at Stark industries, New York.

“Yes.” _And you must still be in school_ , Maria thought as she shook the young woman’s hand. _Seriously I have food in the freezer that’s older than you_.

She introduced herself as Sarah Fisher, a family lawyer from some firm that Maria had never even heard of. “Thank you for seeing me on such short notice” Maria placed her thumb on the biometric scanner and ushered her into the office.

“The man who spoke to me on the phone was rather cryptic to the purpose of this meeting.  Having talked to Miss Potts it’s clear that you are not another one of Congress’s hounds either so I sincerely hope this important. I’m a busy woman today Miss Fisher”

Maria’s tone is deadpan and her eyes lack lustre, however they never lose that piercingly bright blue that often has potential suitors looking twice. Today had been hectic, a security breach in the Quantico offices revealed a small flaw in the employee recognition systems. Fortunately for Stark Maria had contained the situation and was in the process of fixing the breach. She was due to meet with Pepper in less than an hour so whatever this kid wanted she had better make it brief.

Under Maria’s gaze Sarah actually cowered and began to fumble with the latches on her bargain basement leather briefcase. One thing immediately became apparent to Maria, the firm Sarah was working for had to be small, most likely family owned and set up in a dingy office somewhere in Harlem. Definitely not a firm that the likes of Stark would associate with which of course meant that Maria now had all the time in the world for her.

“I- Umm- .  . .  Sorry I’ll try to keep this as brief as possible” She stuttered, eventually producing a small and rather worn file, quickly laying it upon her lap. She bit her lip and seemed to be a little nervous now on her purpose for being there.

Maria softened her gaze and poured her a glass of ice cold water from her office cooler, she quickly returned to her chair soon after and attempted to look more welcoming. No matter where she went the reputation of Ice Queen followed. She could almost hear Natasha scoffing at her treatment of the poor young attorney. She smiled thinking about seeing her wife tonight, Natasha had been visiting Clint in god knows where and was due to meet Maria after her quick conference with Pepper.   They had plans to go out for a meal and a few drinks with Pepper and Tony.  Afterwards Natasha had assured Maria that she had a special surprise for her, one she was sure the brunette would be eager to see.  . . Or rather, _eager to_ _tear off_.

“Mrs Hill I’m here on behalf of your late father regarding his last will and testament” Sarah began after taking a grateful sip from the water and relaxing her nerves a little. If her mentioning of Maria’s father in the past tense shocked the former deputy director of SHIELD she did not show it. However she could not help the unwanted memories from rising to the surface and her hand clenched involuntarily, the blood rushing from her knuckles until she relaxed it and placed her palm back on the arms of the worn leather chair.

Maria’s childhood had been far from loving. She had been raised in a whirlwind of alcohol, cruelty, spite and hatred. In her eyes her father no longer existed, it would seem that her opinion was now fact and oddly she found it difficult to draw comfort from that. Taking this emotions place in her mind was confusion and perhaps distrust. Maria had legally disowned him and had shared little to no contact with the man since she was 18. Thus it stood to reason that he had somehow managed to track her down and had enough personal information on her to include her in his Will. The only logical reason for the attorney to be here was that her father had specifically bequeathed items to her person.

“Continue” Maria lent forward a little and folded her arms across the mahogany desk, preparing herself for the shock of the new. She began to absentmindedly play with her wedding band while Sarah began to go through the contents of the Will. His Will. The last thing she could ever need was to discuss her father with anyone, least of all this fresh faced attorney with her adorable smile. It didn’t last long.

Half an hour later Sarah had gathered her things and was preparing to leave, absent only of the small folder she had brought for Maria. It contained letters from her father, letters he never had the courage to send. There was also a key chain with the keys for her childhood home in Port Washington, several photographs of Maria’s mother and official legal documentation for Maria to sign and return.

“How did he die . . .?”

Maria’s tone had remained neutral throughout their entire meeting so Sarah was completely caught off guard when her voice cracked. Sarah had never personally met Carl Hill, he was passed down to her from another attorney who had swapped firms and moved away. From what she could gather Maria was estranged from the man and judging by the regretful way in which the Will had been wrote.  . . She had ran from him for good reason. The contents had been Carl attempting to atone for his wrong doings, it was clear from Maria’s steadily growing unease and slight shock that whatever he had done to her had cut at her core and left her scarred.

“Liver failure”

“Figures.  . . “ Maria scoffed quietly to herself. Karma sure was a bitch when she wanted to be.

 “He passed away at the hospital in Port Washington. If you wish to know about him personally I can put you in contact with his Lawyer. The new firm he transferred to is here in the financial district of the city so you could even arrange a meeting”

Sarah offered a comforting smile but was too nervous of Maria and her past (which had been laid out online for all to see when SHIELD fell) to reach out. She made to write down the number of the previous Lawyer but Maria waved it off and turned her back on Sarah in dismissal. She wrote it anyhow and discreetly placed it on the cabinet by the door as she said her goodbyes and left the office.


	2. Chapter 2

Maria sat for a while in the uncomfortable silence of her own private thoughts until it started to pour outside, the drizzling rain lightly tapping the window. She stared at the keys like they were an object of immense danger, an IED ready to explode at the slightest touch. Maria took hold of the first letter in the pile and carefully prised it open. It was dated for December 23rd last year and judging by the state of the paper it had been crumpled and smoothed numerous times. Tear stains were also present towards the end of the letter and the ink had smeared leaving parts illegible.

Her breath hitched in her throat as she began to read what would have been her father’s final attempt to communicate with her.

_Dear Maria_

_I can’t begin to tell you how many times I started this letter and stopped knowing that if it did ever fall into your hands you would dismiss it as trash. And if you did how could anyone blame you?  Least of all me, your father, a title I’ve come to realise I never deserved nor will I ever._

_If you’re reading this now then I am no longer alive and my attorney has managed to track you down. There should be other letters inside the file that was delivered, each contain a memory of your mother, the only gift I could ever offer you that could make you see that you were loved. God would she be so proud of you if she was still here. She would have protected you and loved you with everything she had. She would have done everything and more for you which is infinitely better than anything I have done._

_What I did to you, everything I put you through. It was beyond wrong and I know that I deserve to rot in the deepest darkest part of hell. I deserve to be punished and you deserve at least some explanation as to why you suffered at my hands. I’m not in any shape or form attempting to justify my actions, I just hoped to bring you an understanding and perhaps a little closure._

_Losing your mother was beyond words, I can’t describe the loss and how it poisoned my every thought. She took everything I had to give with her, whatever was left was stolen by the poison I poured down my throat to try and block out the pain. I was a coward for succumbing to my own selfish needs when I should have been taking care of the greatest gift she had ever given me. You._

_What can I possibly tell you that you don’t already know about what alcohol can do when it takes control of someone? Your entire childhood was plagued by me, the monster who destroyed your innocence and took all your joy, ripping it to pieces. I’d love nothing more than to take it all back, take all the pain for myself and give you the parent you so desperately needed back then._

**_I_ ** _should have been there for it all, not the monster. I should have watched you take your first steps into school, should have been there for you when you needed me. I should have protected you and nurtured you. There is so much I SHOULD have done that I didn’t and alcohol took that away from me because I allowed it to. I allowed the grief from losing your mother to overcome me and turn me into a coward who abuses his daughter just to feel like a man again._

_You see I became like my father, your grandfather. I became the one thing I told myself I never would. The one thing your mother helped me escape from. He was a cruel and vicious man who would beat and assault your grandmother and myself often. Your grandmother died before you were born so you never had the chance to meet her either and if it wasn’t for your mother saving me when she did from the man. You would have never been born. Something I don’t doubt you wished all those years ago when I was in your life._

_I guess you could say that your mother was my rock, she kept me anchored and guided me through the pain of my own childhood. Losing her was like snapping the lock on the anger that had cultivated for years inside of me. With my own father dead I could never get the closure I so desperately needed. I never got to lash out and rid myself of the demon that was growing inside. You reminded me of her and for that I punished you, wanted to destroy you because it was cruel and unfair that I should be forced to remember the woman I loved and lost. By blaming you I was able to release my own guilt which soon turned to venom, poisoning my words and actions until I was no longer human. It was never your fault, she cared for you deeply. I can still picture the way her face would light up whenever you moved in her tummy. She had your name picked out the moment we found out you were to be a girl. You were named after her mother, another woman who was cruelly taken from this world before your time._

_The day I truly hurt you, the day I did what no man should ever . . . the day you finally escaped from my terrible hold . . . that was the day I started to realise what I had become. And as I watched you get on that bus, already battle worn and heading for a war of a different kind, I understood that I had lost you along with any rights I might have had to calling you my daughter. I can never be forgiven and I know I lost all love from your mother also as she watched you from heaven._

_The day I lost your mother and shunned your existence was the day I turned my back on any hope of happiness and I’m sorry that I dragged you along with me._

_My only hope is that you grew up to become a strong and powerful young woman like your mother. You deserve nothing less than love and happiness._

_I’m sorry I took that from you and I hope that one day you can find peace and someone of your own. Someone who loves you like I loved your mother, like how she would have loved you._

_Carl Hill_

Maria didn’t even realise that she had finished the letter, it fell to the carpet along with a single tear.

The knock at the door broke the silence of the room.


	3. Chapter 3

“Mrs Hill is waiting outside of your office Mrs Hill. She is attempting to hack into my systems, should I deploy countermeasures?”  JARVIS’s voiced echoed from the sensor on the wall and for a moment Maria forgot all that had just transpired. Her wife was home, alive and well. That’s all that mattered right now. The brunette still couldn’t contain the smile that appeared when Jarvis used Natasha’s new surname.

She quickly brushed the tears away and fought back anymore, pushing the letter from her mind for later on when she was alone.

“No JARVIS. She’s cleared to enter, just give me a quick moment to clear up then buzz her in. If she starts to threaten you just play the Russian national anthem. That should buy me another minute or so”

Maria rushed to clear her desk of the file but in her haste a photo of her mother had slipped the confines of the binder, falling to rest just out of Maria’s sight under her desk. Just as she placed the file into the secured drawer the faint sounds of an orchestra began to play from outside of the door. And sure enough the door slid open with a rather disgruntled looking redhead stood there with her arms folded across her chest and a look that screamed ‘Really? You’re going to pull that crap on me?’.

“ _Really Maria_?” Natasha scoffed though there was a ghost of a smile upon her face.

Maria just grinned and shrugged. Nailed it.

“Jarvis you can stop now. I think she’s learnt her lesson about breaking and entering . . . well at least for now” Natasha scowled at the sensor and waited for the door to slide shut before she threw herself at her wife. Their lips locked into a searing kiss and Natasha had Maria pinned against her desk. Apparently she had missed her and was eager to make up for lost time.

She stood up on her tiptoes and nipped lightly at Maria’s neck, placing soft kisses along her collarbone until Maria finally complied and leant down, their foreheads touching while eyes locked into a loving gaze.

“I’ve missed you” Maria smiled, desperately trying (and apparently succeeding) in keeping herself together. She had to, for Natasha’s sake more than her own. Leaving Clint alone always hurt her wife but the man was stubborn and refused to stay put. They had been lucky to even get him at their wedding, he had busied himself fighting HYDRA across the globe and never seemed to take a break. There was a time where Natasha would have joined him and after the fall of SHIELD and revelation of lies she almost had. Then Maria had stolen her heart and given her new purpose.

Maria couldn’t afford to breakdown. Not now. Not ever.

“Oh? Care to show me how much” Natasha purred, that infuriating smirk appearing upon her face which was the look of pure innocence as she began to snake a hand up Maria’s blouse to her chest. Maria rolled her eyes and pulled her in for another long kiss that left them both breathless. She stopped Natasha’s hand from going any further and gave a sideways glance to the sensor on the wall.

“As much as I would love to show you, and trust me _I want nothing more than to tear off your clothes and show you_ , I’d rather not give Tony some new material to use when Pepper gets bored of him” Natasha whined in protest like an adorable puppy and pouted. But even she knew that sex in the office was a bad idea when the likes of Tony Stark was about, it wouldn’t surprise her if he had already ordered JARVIS to alert him if the two ever did go at it. The thought of him watching, knowing that that was all he could actually do turned the redhead on a little more and she demonstrated by pressing a hand against Maria’s thigh.

“That’s fine dear . . . making you wait will only make your surprise that much sweeter” Natasha began as she slipped a hand past Maria’s waistband and teasingly rubbed against her panties, a wicked grin marring her delicate features. Maria couldn’t help the moan that escaped her lips but Natasha was soon to silence anymore by capturing them against her own. She stopped teasing and embraced her wife lovingly, never letting their lips part until she was satisfied that Maria was all worked up and perhaps reconsidering her earlier pause.

“Besides . . . you have that meeting with Pepper remember” Natasha whispered huskily into her ear, breaking away from the kiss. It took a moment for Maria to open her eyes again and realise what she was saying.

“Shit!” Maria growled and gently pushed her wife of her with a scowl “How I don’t lose my job with you around is beyond me. You planned this” Maria moaned but she was only half joking as she gathered the Quantico file and placed a gentle kiss on Natasha’s nose.

Natasha just smirked and arched a perfect brow. She waited for Maria to leave with promises that she would behave herself while she waited. She was about to do just that and take Maria’s seat when she spotted the photograph peering out from under the desk.


End file.
